The Fallen Hero
by FairyWonder
Summary: "It's the final countdown..." The final battle has come. How will it end? Nico reflects on how everyone has moved on. Everyone but him.
1. Chapter 1

"I love you Seaweed Brain."

"I love you too Wise Girl."

The couple had been talking to one another, bonding in the joy of one anothers company. Sharing past adventures, reminiscencing on past trials, and thinking about the future. Percy took her hands in his, loving the way her eyes seemed to be gray storm clouds, how her blond curls escaped her loose ponytail. He loved everything about the girl in front of him and she loved him back. He was the Seaweed Brian to her Wise Girl and vise versa.

And Percy got down on one knee.

That's when something went horribly wrong.

Just as he opened his mouth, Annabeth eyes grew wide with horror, and her body locked up with terror. In Annabeth's eyes Percy had been replaced with a cascade of spiders that crawled all over the deck and towards her with Arachne's laugh seeming to echo in the air. She whirled around to see her leering on the mast.

And that is what she hallucinated as she claimed to the other members of the Argo later on.

The daughter of Athena screamed bloody murder, scratching and clawing where a worried Percy watched in complete terror as his love of his life screamed and scratched at his restraining arms that were around her. Tears streamed down her face, as Percy tried to calm her down by murmuring soft spoken words in her ear. The rest of the members of the Argo awoke hearing her screams, and came running but by then it was too late.

By the time the crew got there, armed and ready they only witnessed a screaming Annabeth curled up into a ball with no signs of the son of Poseidon to be seen.

Except for the bloody trail that lead from the mast to the over the rail with Annabeth's dagger lying on the ground covered in sticky, red blood.

Percy had no time to react as she stabbed him. Eyes wide with shock he fell back onto the ground when the boat seemed to shudder. Annabeth accused his of being Arachne before she huddle into a ball rocking back and forth. He wasn't clear as into what happened next rather he found himself being dragged from the deck in the talons of a harpy, whose claws dug into his shoulders like sharp needles. His body felt like it was made of lead, and he couldn't move at all. He looked down at the seeping hole that was in his stomach, the blood causing the shirt to stick to the fatal wound. He looked down past his injury and he looked at the ground instead fighting for conciousness.

All he saw was the abyss of hell.

The harpy had taken him back.

His eyelids slid down to a close, and he saw nothing more.

* * *

**_A few months later_**

Keep running just keep running, the demi god motivated himself as he ran across the open meadow. He could hear the noises of the monsters behind him when the ground suddenly became oozing mud and roots grabbed at his legs as he fell. Crying out in shock and anger he lost his grip on Riptide as it flung out of his hand and somewhere in the mass of flowers.

"NO!" He yelled out trying to claw his way away as the roots dug into his legs, pulling him back.

"_Come Percy don't fight, you only have to obey me and this will all be over…_" Gaea whispered in his head.

"Never! I will never obey!" He retaliated.

"_Why not,_" her voice whispered in his head,"_you have nothing. You are all alone._"

"I have my friends! I have Annabeth!" He shouted his efforts becoming less as he tried to claw away though the roots held him in place.

"_You mean the girl who stabbed you and screamed at you, the girl who is always tired of chasing after you… The girl who gets caught up in her work that she shuts you out… or the friends that never really paid attention to you except for when they needed your help?" _Her voice poisoning the young demigod.

He stilled, his hands still deep in the ground when all the fight left him. Was it really worth all of this? He had fought his way out of Tartarus yet again finally after he miraculously stole Hermes flying shoes from a demi god who'd been guarding them which was weird because the demi god had already been dead. The son of the sea god had learned a few tricks while fighting his way out, such as he could use the water in someone's body to torture them.

Now he lay frozen in the oozing mud as Gaea infected his mind with thoughts of having probably the most powerful demigod on her side to help her win the war since the Romans and Greeks had teamed up and were about to go to the battlefield.

_"Face it Percy Jackson. You are forgotten, and alone. You have nothing except me. "_

Percy Jackson then finally gave up; he didn't have anything left to fight for. Nothing mattered to him anymore, he had tried so hard to escape that he realized he didn't have anything waiting for him. Annabeth had probably moved on, his friends as well, some maybe even dead. His mother had probably moved away with Paul, forgetting everything about her son. The boy then let the now gentle roots drag him down into the Earth this time to become Gaea's personal weapon.

* * *

Gaea had come so close to consciousness that it was like she was already awake. A tall figure stood in front of a cracked mirror, dressed in golden armor. In the dimness, you could easily see that the figure had a lean build, but an aura of defeat. His sea eyes held no particular light just that of a broken will as if he was a puppet played by the strings. His eyes then cast downwards where in his hands; he held the pen that would become his bloodied sword.

_"Come now Percy it is time."_ Whispered an earth built model in his ear. She enjoyed that she had broken the great Perseus Jackson, now that he was hers to command like servant to their master.

The model crumbled, and the boy gave one last look into the mirror, a tear slipping down his cheek. He reached up to wipe away the tear when more started to fall. Closing his eyes, he bit his lower lip trembling when he put on his helmet and left the room, uncapping his sword.

The young demigod watched from where he stood out on a balcony. So far the first fleet had held up alright against the untied camps, which even had Artemis's hunters on their side. He remembered fighting on their side for the battle of Olympus. Hours flew by and slowly the camps' conjoined army fell so did the legion under Gaea's command.

They had one last fleet, holding only the strongest titans and the cruelest of monsters. Gaea had been saving Percy for this. Now it was his time to go and destroy people he had once knew, with the last fleet under what little command he had. Slowly the monsters and titans parted for him as he strode to the front line. This was his fleet to command, nothing else mattered. Not even the tears streaming down his face as he remembered everything about the people he was facing. He couldn't do anything about it now; Gaea had him under her control. She had strengthened him and made him into a monster like the ones behind him. His eyes scanned the remaining fighters and saw several bodies lying on the ground. In the front line he noticed Jason, who looked ready to pass out, with a bandage to the side of his head, his hands glowing with lightning.

Percy also saw Frank in a shape of a dragon with one wings missing and massive tears on his sides. He saw Leo fiddling with a mechanical dog it seemed that looked ferocious yet he wasn't frightened at all. More like indifferent.

Remember Percy, they left you, they used you; Gaea whispered in his mind.

Percy then raised Riptide into the air about to signal charge when a familiar voice rang out.

"No! Don't do this, you are better than fighting!"

Piper.

The girl walked up from the army of demi gods, limping as she did so.

"You are being manipulated Gaea! You don't-" She started to say, her voice laced with her charm speak when Percy raised a hand. Piper then gasped as the demi god manipulated her blood basically and Percy felt a strange emotion within him when tears fell down her face. She was my friend…

"You have no friends, Percy", a soothing voice spoke in his ear. He shivered as Gaea's model body of clay touched his shoulders. Narrowing his eyes, he worked the water in Piper's body and had her fall to her knees. Gaea let out a cackling laugh and urged Percy forward. With his armor clinking, and what felt like his skin crawling, he walked to Piper who stared at him immobilized. He could feel her trying to fight his grasp but it was useless, no one could escape. Gaea had made sure of that when she forced him into doing it to thousands of monsters including titans. Percy stood, towering over Piper who had tears falling from her eyes.

Squatting down, his eyes met hers and he wiped away tears from her face.

"Please don't do this… Whoever you are, you don't have to do this. These are innocent people." She pleaded and her words were coated with charms speak.

"I know. But Gaea wishes it." He said quietly, standing up again when he used his power to throw her far to the west. He didn't bother to watch as he heard her cry out and crumple against something. He didn't kill her though, he knew that for sure.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered.

He raised Riptide and sliced the air before him, and the army charged. Gaea's army quickly tore through the demi gods until it came down to a few titans and giants, about twenty monsters, and himself against a handful of resilient demi gods. Jason stood at the front of the small handful behind him, his blue eyes burning like blue fire with fierce anger and the air crackled with electricity. Percy swore he even heard thunder when he looked up to see black, angry storm clouds above. Indifferent he casted his eyes back to the blonde boy when he noticed someone among their ranks.

Nico.

His dark locks fell into his face and he was panting heavily, even the front of his shirt was torn. His heart gave a tug that was painful and his gut clenched at the look on his face. He was scared but he wasn't about to give up it seemed.

Jason leveled his sword directly at Percy and declared his eyes flashing "YOU, You will die by my hand."

One of the giants to his left sneered at Jason and said in remark "Just because he hurt your little girlfriend?"

Jason yelled and the demi gods on his side joined in as they began fighting the monsters and titans while Percy stayed behind with two giants on either side of him. Quickly, he maneuvered around the fighting and went behind the demi gods when Jason struck a titan down with some difficulty and turned to Percy. Jason narrowed his eyes when he felt Gaea whisper in his mind to fight.

And so he raised his blade while Jason charged at him and Percy met him halfway. Something swelled in his chest and as their blades struck, creating sparks, lighting struck the ground nearby, other fighters moved away clearing an area for them to fight while continuing their own battles. Jason yelled, his anger taking a hold of him and he slashed blindly at Percy.

Expertly he dodged the blows, blocking the last one when Jason tried to overpower him and he shoved him off. Jason stumbled back a few feet when he dropped his blade, his hands glowing and he rose up into the air.

"I am Jason Grace, Son of Zues! Face the wrath of my father." He said staring dead at him, when he rose up at least three hundred feet and backed up ten feet, while Percy stood there staring with a smirk on his lips. Jason came flying straight at him, his hands glowing blue and tackled Percy dead on. Together they created a ditch in the ground; Jason skidded, well rather crashed a few yards away from where Percy lay. The electricity shocked him, only for a second before Jason stood, shakily panting heavily.

"Done yet…" Percy stated before narrowing his eyes and standing up. He noticed majority of his armor had come off, probably what had taken most of the damage, and only his helmet remained, dressed in gauntlets that covered his roman markings and leather pants that were quite sturdy along with his combat boots though they rid low on his waist. Riptide seemed to be wicked as he flashed it in his hand.

Other than a scratch and the energetic feeling he had, he was completely fine. Jason panted, picking up a fallen sword.

Jason, then ran at Percy, who was now in the zone due to Gaea infiltrating his mind, who easily blocked his attacks and rather let him catch his breath, he attacked him dead on. Jason could barely block the first blow so when the second one came, he stumbled to the ground. Percy stood over him, Riptide raised when someone pelted him with a rock. Turning his head he saw Hazel with a swarm of precious metals above her head and she released them at him. Easily he picked up Jason, in which Hazel forced the gems to stop in the air. Percy smirked when Hazel suddenly dropped the rocks.

He turned to see a giant boulder hurtling straight at her and upon instinct he felt the urge to tackle her but found that he couldn't.

You are on my side Percy Jackson, you can watch as she dies.

"No… it isn't right…" He muttered unable to do anything as she jumped out of the way at the last second.

The boulder landed with a deafening thud and he saw the Hazel was knocked out on the ground a few feet away from the boulder. Percy then felt Jason kick him in the shin and he turned around to see that Jason jerked from his hold and stumbled to the ground when Percy felt Gaea forcibly take control over his body and watched in second person as he kicked Jason in the face and as he flew backwards he watched as she had him raise his arms and at the last second Percy retook control so that he stabbed Jason's right shoulder instead of the chest.

Jason screamed and Percy felt the coating feeling of guilt and shame as he drew his blade of Jason's shoulder when he noticed one of the titans was left standing and the demi gods remained.

He noticed Nico had disappeared from the group and was relieved when the remaining demi gods charged at him. Gaea tried to retake control over his body, this time he couldn't stop her. In a matter of minutes, he had finished off the demi gods by knocking them unconscious instead of killing them that was the least he could do with Gaea in control when she relinquished her control over him and he turned around about to walk away from the battle field when a voice behind him shouted "Hey you!"

Percy looked behind him, and saw Nico standing there with an army of dead skeletons behind him.

He gave a sad smile when he turned around Riptide in his hand, and he picked up a random shield from the ground. He recognized it as Thalia's shield and shook his head from thinking about such things. Nico's skeleton army charged and Percy slashed his sword at each and every last one of them. Nico seemed to be straining himself but he kept summoning more and more skeletons to try and kill him, but then the ground shook and Percy realized with a sickening feeling that Gaea was summoning more monsters.

Only a hundred or so… The goddess murmured in his head and he watched as monsters popped up from the ground, all focused on one person.

Nico.

A surge of emotion had Percy stop fighting the skeletons and he began to cut down each and every monster that tried to get near Nico.

What are you doing?! Shrieked Gaea as he cut down a harpy that had talons boring down on Nico.

"Switching sides," he muttered. He had a purpose to not give up now, and that purpose was to protect Nico. He now realized he had been wrong and Gaea had been poisoning his mind.

He chopped of the head of a hell hound, out of breath when Percy summoned water from every source available and created a massive wall of water between Nico and him and the monsters. He turned to Nico and said "You run. I've got this under control."

"Just who the hell do you think you are?" Nico said indignantly, his hand itching towards his sword.

"I'm someone who is telling you to run away."

"Why should I trust you?" The boy said getting closer to Percy.

"Because you know who I am."

Nico scrunched his eyebrows when he was about to reach up, before pulling his hand back and glaring at him.

"I'm going to get my sister to safety first."

Percy nodded smiling when he turned to the monsters. He closed his bright eyes and focus on the water, channeling deeply he raised his arms back and created a land wave, engulfing the monsters in one blow and pushed them back at least a hundred feet.

He reopened his eyes and saw that one fast group of hell hounds were charging at him. Percy, doing things on impulse, ran at them with Riptide raised and began slashing at the beast. One by one with scratches and bruises, he killed off the beasts when the rest of the monsters joined in. Even the great Percy was pushed back as he defeated the monsters one at a time, he noticed though the two giants were not joining in. Dismissing it, he blocked an attack and watched as the monster exploded into dust.

Percy was knocked to the ground suddenly and struggled to get up when claws scraped his bare chest. Crying out from the sudden pain, he roared and stabbed the creature in the chest and jumped to his feet when it exploded into dust. Breathing heavily he held Riptide in front of him when he saw Nico come to his side and the rest of the monsters circled around.

Now back to back he heard Nico say to him over the clicking and growls of the monsters, "Just who the hell are you?"

Percy didn't respond and instead swung his blade, slicing his blade through some monster in front of him. He wasn't paying to close attention to what he was killing, as his mind registered they were an enemy for him to kill.

After blocking an attack, he noticed his tidal wave of water had left excess amount left by his feet and he could feel a large amount of water nearby. Percy reached out to the water, and drew it with a flick of his wrist to him. Instantly a distant roar was heard, and Percy grinned, a bit strained, as a massive amount of salt water came rushing at them. Breathing heavily he manipulated the water, and breathed a sigh of relief as the touch of the water soothed him and he felt it heal his cuts and give him a rush of strength.

Grinning he raised his chin a bit higher, standing in front of Nico and watched as the remaining monsters back away. He raised his arms and acted like he was punching when he was sending strokes of water at the monsters. Grunting as he punched the air, he calculated that only nine monsters remained, excluding the two giants. Bracing himself into a stance, he dropped kicked the air lifting him of the ground doing a three sixty and landed on his feet breathing heavily as a direct lash hit the fleeing monsters and they all exploded into dust.

He winced when he heard Gaea give a scream of frustration, realizing she was weakened and slipping further away from awakening, and Percy looked behind him at Nico, who was studying him. Turning around, he grinned at the boy and who was about to say something when he heard it.

The sound of one of the giants throwing something into the air, and Percy tensed when he heard it slice through the air.

"NICO!" He yelled, tackling the boy to the ground with Percy above him. A shake told him it had been some rock. Looking down at Nico through his helmet he found himself staring into those dark orbs of his that held surprise. His breath caught in his throat as his stared into the other boy's eyes before he got off one him by pushing back with his arms, rolling off his knees and standing up. Turning around he didn't have any time to react when it hit him.

Literally.

Percy gasped and he dropped Riptide that was in its pen size as pain exploded through him.

He heard Nico scream something and instantly went on high alert, but the pain was too great for him to do anything. He fell to his knees and cried out softly when he looked down to see a large spear, running through his abdomen. Percy could see his vision was tunneling, he felt tears fall from his eyes. It hurt so bad… At least he protected Nico, he thought dimly…

Percy looked up through the helmet he still wore and saw that Nico was standing a few feet in front of him, summoning the dead and dark vapors rose around him. He sent them towards the giants when he turned to Percy, and noticed his lower lip was quivering. Nico turned back round, summoning more dead to attack the last two giants who struck at the undead one blow at a time with clubs.

You aren't going to give up just like that now are you? Gaea cooed within his mind.

Grinding his teeth together as fury built up inside him, he gripped the spear that was lodged through him, whispering "One… two…"

Then he broke it in half, giving a small yell. Breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling in great heaves, he moaned as he reached behind him and felt for the tip. He found it was only a simple spear, one with a carved tip instead of metal. He bit the inside of his cheek as he pushed the remaining bit that hadn't broken off in, when he let out a groan of frustration and ripped off the damned helmet. With a sudden moment of rush, he shoved the remaining bit of the spear from the front and into the back where he kept it inside of him thinking better than ripping it out. He moaned in pain as it burned furiously, and knew he wasn't going to last much longer, but he absolutely had to protect Nico. He wouldn't give up this time.

Unsteadily getting to his feet, he shuffled forward his feet scuffing the ground, and he put a hand on Nico's shoulder. Nico turned his head tears in his dark eyes, when Percy gave him his crooked smile.

"You are such a stupid hero…" Nico choked out.

Percy grinned despite the pain, and ruffled Nico's hair.

"Let me protect you."

"I'm not a damn kid!" He whisper shouted, not trusting his voice it seemed.

Percy turned towards the remaining giant steeling his resolve as he uncapped Riptide which he had picked up, as Nico's army fell away and he said as he walked forward towards the giant "I know, but I'm going to do it anyways."

What Percy didn't notice as he faced certain death was Nico reaching out to him, tears streaming down his face as he faced the brink of exhaustion.

Percy narrowed his eyes, a heavy feeling of knowing settling within him, and the giant ran attack him though it looked pretty beat up. Percy gritted his teeth and ran at it, and managed to cut it from its mid belly that bulged like a beer gut and down when the mighty son of Poseidon was hit dead on by the club it swung as it bursted into gold dust.

Percy flew through the air and landed where the boulder that almost crushed Hazel was, his back impacting the rock, blood flew from his mouth as he slid down to the ground, his stomach bleeding profusely and blood leaking from the corners of his mouth and ears. Black dimmed his vision and he felt himself exhausted of everything he had, when he looked up and managed keep his eyes open when Nico skidded in front of him, getting on his knees.

Percy knew he didn't have long, especially with all the blood pooling around his body. He could feel that one of his legs was broken along with some of his ribs, but a cold numbness was overtaking his body.

"P-Percy," Nico whimpered, tears falling from his eyes as he stared at him. Percy smiled, his eyes heavy and he panted for breath as it became hard to breathe.

"T-tell everyone I'm sorry… Gaea was… controlled me…" He said furrowing his brow staring blankly when Nico put a hand to his face, wiping away some of the blood leaking from the corners of his mouth.

Lifting his eyes to look at Nico, he saw him Inches away from him. Lifting up his arm so his hand could wipe the other boy's dark locks out of his eyes he listened as Nico said, "Percy… why?" Nico choked out, and Percy gave a weak smile his strength fading.

"I had to protect you… I'm sorry for everything I've done to you for you to hate me…" He murmured when Nico hugged him, burying his head in the crook of his neck. Percy could feel the wetness of the boys tears on his skin when he lifted his arms to hug the boy back, though he could no longer feel and part of his body except the warmth Nico was giving him.

He rubbed Nico's head comfortingly when a minute passed and he stilled his bright eyes half closed as his heart stopped slowly.

**_Ba-dum_**

**_Ba-dum_**

**_Ba-dum…_**

**_Silence._**

He never got to hear the words Nico whispered to late against him as he cried his anguish out.

Hours later, Hazel and Jason, both bruised and bandaged, found Nico in the same position, his tears dried out, laying against Percy's cold shoulder, having this tear streaked, heartbroken look on his face, the little light in his eyes gone, plainly showing grief over the loss of the one he had always loved.


	2. Chapter 2

People called him a traitor.

A coward.

Some people remembered him as a friend.

An ally.

Nico Di Angelo remembered him as so much more than that.

He remembered him as his hero.

As his friend.

As his crush.

It had been seven years since the death of the boy with the sea colored eyes.

Everyone one else had moved on except for Nico.

Hazel and Frank had gotten married and were expecting.

Leo and Calypso were reunited and had started their own mechanic workshop.

Piper and Jason decided to be friends after they started arguing a lot.

Reyna had found her place in the world and talked a lot more with her sister.

Annabeth had become one of the greatest architects in the nation, and was in Europe designing a monument while her fiancee stayed at home attending to his teaching job at a local college.

The boy sighed as he stared out the window watching as the rain poured down.

It was the seventh anniversary since his death.

Shadow traveling, he came to a grave yard littered with fallen leaves.

The cold rain didn't bother him as he came to a lone grave on top of a small hill that had a wilted wreath across it.

Nico reached up and fingered the beaded necklace around his neck as he laid down the blue flowers beside his grave.

Tears escaped his eyes silently, and he stared at the gravestone.

Gods he missed him so much.

"Why is life always so damn cruel..."

And he turned around and shadow traveled away unable to stay any longer.

He was in his room was more, sheltered away from facing reality that Percy Jackson was dead.


End file.
